Sufferings

Announcements:

• Shirley is arranging a baby shower for Zeb’s wife. Contact her if you would like to contribute.

Praise Reports:

• Abby has had a very busy—but wonderful—3 weeks. She sliced her finger, but thank God it was not worse.
• Elaine’s goats—God is faithful in the small things
• The fireworks fundraiser in the park went very well, and Harbor House plans on hosting a Cajun Buffet sometime after the new year to pay for the rest of the fireworks.
• Vanessa’s gas heating
• Warren and Mary—they had a granddaughter visit them last week

Prayer Requests:

• Angela—courage
• Byron—his mental attitude and return from the rehabilitation center
• College students
• Davis family—recently lost their son
• Dwayne—healing
• Jana and Robin—Faith, strength, and health
• John Christian—peace and Jesus
• Mary
• Pam
• Paul and Ruby  
• Rebecca Thomas
• Sharon—job
• Sulphur Springs
• Those who are serving our country
• Zeb and his family

12. Great Suffering..., a photo by auntjojo on Flickr.

The book of Hebrews reaches back to the Old Testament and applies it to the New Covenant, lifting out portions of the past to show how it pictured the future. The Old Testament pictures Jesus interceding on our behalves, making a way to the Father, etc. Let’s delve into this book to understand how sufferings play a part—a main role, in fact—in our Christian walk. 

Jesus often said, “No servant is great than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” We are clearly not exempt from anything and everything that Jesus experienced here on earth—poverty, rejection, homelessness, danger, betrayal, etc. Read Hebrews 2:5-10. The last verse says, "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through...." Good works? Relationships? Love? No, God said that the perfect thing to perfect our leader, poster child, savior, and king was a multitude of sufferings. This is a message that all Christians need to hear, but certainly new and recently renewed disciples have to understand it on a deep level. 

In 2 Corinthians 1:5-7 Paul gives us an example of the continuous cycle of comfort and sufferings in the body of Christ. He suffers for the sake of their comfort, and one day the exchange with be reversed. In Philippians 3:7-10 he writes of suffering as something to be gained, and 1 Peter 4:12-16 speaks of rejoicing in suffering. Great people of faith inevitably went through great sufferings. Those who are held up as great examples went through a consistent pattern of sufferings, and then joy in triumph. Put this into your understanding of Kingdom Mechanics: suffering is an integral part of the Christian Walk. 

Suffering for the sake of Christ is paralleled in physical sufferings. Jesus can inspire our every attempt to get to a better place. It’s a universal truth that if you and I want to change from an undesirable place in our lives to a desirable place, there will be sufferings, sacrifices, injuries, weakness, self-denial, and time in between. Prosperity, freedom, and joy come through sufferings. If you and I want to change something for better, we can’t expect it to be cheap and easy. It takes a real fight, but “joy comes in the morning.”

When Paul writes of the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the purpose of putting it on is to "stand," not to conquer the world, but to stand firm against anything the world can throw at us. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says to "resist (the devil), firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." So roll up your sleeves, get into your armor, and stand against your own weakness and selfishness. Stop being like a little kid throwing a tantrum; just suffer and overcome. Our success is not a trophy, but a great testimony to world.

If you have a weakness that you are trying to overcome, then prepare for temptation by setting up the scenario; go there in your mind now, and decide what you will do. Greater faith and growing closer to God is always the result of Christian sufferings. We have to choose pain. If we remain where we are comfortable then it is only a matter of time until we become miserable. The joy to be gained from suffering is worth anything.